Meet the Grasshopper
Grasshoppers have a typical 3-part insect body, which includes the head, thorax, and abdomen. They also have 2 antennae, 2 pairs of wings, and 6 legs. Grasshoppers are vegetarian insects that can jump, walk, and fly. Because they eat a lot and can eat a wide variety of things, they can survive in many types of habitats.
Except Antarctica, you can find grasshoppers on all the continents.
Habitat of a Grasshopper
Common Habitat: Grasshopper habitats are mostly found in areas with low-growing plants. Grasshoppers like to eat grass, leaves, and cereal crops. But if these foods run out, they start eating other food they can find to survive.
Habitat Types: Grasshoppers are seen in all kinds of habitats. Some examples are grasslands, rain forests, pastures, fields, swamps, and tropics. Most surprisingly, they are also found in deserts.
Rare Habitat: Grasshoppers are rare in freshwater swamps and mangrove swamps. This is because flooding in these places destroys the eggs that the insects lay in the soil.
Migration: When conditions turn bad, grasshoppers are known to migrate in large numbers. When they are migrating, they can travel 15 miles or more per day. Areas with dense vegetation like scrubs are home to some rare and interesting species of grasshoppers.
Habitat Manipulation of Grasshoppers: Grasshoppers feed on crops like barley, corn, and oats, which is why farmers regard them as pests. Habitat manipulation is a control strategy where the number of natural predators of grasshoppers is increased in the fields. This helps reduce the grasshopper population and protects crops. Many times, chemicals like insecticides are also used to control their numbers.
Creating a Habitat: The hardest part of creating a grasshopper habitat is catching the grasshoppers. They are fast, and if they have wings they are even faster! Try to catch two grasshoppers, one female and one male if possible. Then set up their home. Take a transparent container or a wire cage with a lid that has enough holes for ventilation. Put moist soil at the bottom and add lots of leaves and twigs. Keep the container near a light so it stays slightly warm. Place the grasshoppers inside and close it. Keep the container clean by removing waste and uneaten food. Keep the soil and leaves moist by spraying water once a day.
Where They Live Around the World
Around 18,000 kinds of grasshoppers are known today, and you can find them across the globe, except in the north and south pole regions, where the temperatures are extremely low. They are predominantly found in the temperate regions and can be seen flying around in meadows, fields, and just about any place they can find leaves to munch on. They are most noticeable in autumn, but they are found in summer and spring as well.
Size & Body: How a Grasshopper Is Built
A grasshopper's life cycle consists of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The grasshopper's body is covered by a hard exoskeleton and is divided into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. The body also features two pairs of wings, two antennae, and six jointed legs. The front short legs are used for walking and holding food, while the long hind legs are used for hopping. The scientific classification of grasshoppers is as follows:
- Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
- Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
- Class: Insecta (Insects)
- Order: Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder: Caelifera (Grasshoppers)
5 Eyes but No Ears
Grasshoppers possess two large eyes (each with thousands of single lenses) on either side of the head, which lets them see in all directions. Of the remaining three small eyes, two are found at the base of each antennae, and the fifth eye is found between the two antennae. However, the function of these smaller eyes is still unknown.
Grasshoppers do not possess ears for hearing. Instead, they use organs called tympana to carry out the hearing function. These tympana are circular membranes located in the first abdominal segment of the body, where the hind legs are attached. They work a bit like eardrums, picking up vibrations in the air.
Super-Tough Mandibles
Grasshoppers feature a pair of mandibles, which enable them to chew from side to side. These mandibles are extremely tough and do not get damaged easily. In fact, they remain intact even after the grasshopper has been eaten by a burrowing owl. For example, if an owl eats 100 grasshoppers, then what is found in the pellet (the solid residue the owl coughs out after digestion) are 200 mandibles and a few other tiny parts of the grasshoppers' mouthparts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many eyes does a grasshopper have?
Five, two large compound eyes and three small simple eyes (ocelli).
How do grasshoppers hear without ears?
They use organs called tympana, circular membranes on their abdomen.
How far can a grasshopper jump?
Up to 20 times its own body length.
Where do grasshoppers live?
On every continent except Antarctica, in grasslands, rainforests, pastures, fields, swamps, tropics, and even deserts.
Test Your Grasshopper Knowledge!
8 quick questions about habitats, anatomy, jumping, and cool grasshopper facts.
Some of Nature's Best Athletes
Grasshoppers can jump up to about 20 times their body length. The powerful hind limbs of the insect enable it to make these long-distance jumps. It is this wonderfully powerful jumping ability that makes these insects some of nature's best-known athletes.
But those legs do more than jump. Sometimes insect dung, called frass, gets stuck to the insect after it defecates, so the grasshopper uses its long hind legs to brush it off. So those same powerful legs have a hygienic application as well!
Grasshopper Species
These insects belong to the order Orthoptera and suborder Caelifera. There are around 10,000 types of grasshoppers. Some species have toxic bodies that are brightly colored, a warning to their predators about their poisonous nature. Some species cannot make sounds by rubbing their legs. Since sound is a mating call, those species use bright colors to attract mates instead.
Grasshoppers Diet
You might think a small insect like a grasshopper would have few dietary needs, but that is not so. As mentioned above, a grasshopper eats food that amounts to 16 times its body weight. So what do grasshoppers eat? They prefer eating grass and plants which are leafy. Grasshoppers are foodaholics, eating not just during the day but also at night. You might wonder when they sleep, they do sleep, but just for a little while at night!
Most grasshoppers feed on any and every plant they can get their mouthparts on. They feed on agricultural crops such as cotton, clover, wheat, alfalfa, barley, corn, rye, oats, and many such crops. This is why grasshoppers are considered a threat to agriculture. Some types eat only certain varieties of plants, while other species prefer only grasses.
Grasshoppers can eat almost anything, from clothes and tomatoes to paper and even toxic plants! Maybe this explains their brilliant adaptability, which in turn has allowed them to live in so many varied habitats.
Grasshoppers Life Cycle and Reproduction
Most grasshoppers are musical and sing songs to attract their mates! They make sounds by rubbing their back legs on their fore-wings, which is called stridulation. Females make softer noises compared to males, which helps tell the two apart. Some species that cannot sing find their mates with the help of scent and sight.
Different subfamilies actually produce their songs in different ways. Some types clatter their wings together in flight to make a song, some rub their wings together to make sound, and others rub the pegs on their hind legs to make sounds. Then there are types that do not make any sound at all. In almost every case, it is the male grasshoppers that sing, and they do it to attract the females or to warn off other males.
In some species, the sperm in the female's genital tract from her first mate is replaced by the sperm of her next mate. This is why males try to mate as many times as possible with the same female and with other females, so that they can pass on their genes. Sadly, females die after they lay their eggs.
The eggs are laid on the ground, usually on a leaf or plant stem. They hatch into larvae 3 to 4 weeks later. The larvae hide themselves underground right away, then come out as nymphs (small adults). After 3 months they mature into full-sized adults. The lifespan of an average grasshopper is 1 year.
Grasshoppers Are Eaten as Food
Grasshoppers are eaten as a source of protein in several places across the globe. In China, they are found on skewers ready to be sold as food in the markets. In places like Mexico, they are relished as a snack, and in Uganda they are relished as a delicacy. In fact, in Uganda, grasshoppers are an important source of income.
Grasshoppers are mainly eaten in Africa, because the daily diet of the people there often lacks (especially during famine) the minerals, proteins, fats, and vitamins that are present in these insects. People catch the insects at dusk, place them in water for 24 hours, and then fry, boil, or add them to soups. Military personnel are also instructed to gather grasshoppers and eat them when their food supplies come to a halt or in case they get lost. However, one must avoid eating raw grasshoppers, as there is a risk of being infected by tapeworms.
Grasshoppers Sometimes Benefit Farmers
It's unbelievable, but true! The notoriously destructive grasshoppers can at times be beneficial to farmers. Turnbull's grasshopper (Aeoloplides turnbulli), a species found on the Prairies, specifically feeds on weeds. Another, the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), feeds on plants that are toxic to cattle. Natural weed control, what else could a farmer want!
Being the voracious plant eaters that they are, grasshoppers can be quite destructive to agricultural crops and are generally disliked by farmers. However, they do have a positive side as well. The grasshopper droppings, or frass, that fall on the soil return the nutrients back to the soil, contributing to the nutrient turnover. This frass is also eaten by birds and various arthropods, so it is a source of food for them. Thus, grasshoppers have their pros and cons, but above all, being herbivorous, they form a perfect link between plants and the rest of the ecosystem.
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Other Interesting Grasshopper Facts
- If you pick up a grasshopper, it spits out a brownish liquid commonly called tobacco juice!
- A grasshopper can jump up to about 20 times its own body length. If you could do that, you would definitely win the long jump at the Olympics!
- Crickets, a type of grasshopper, can even be used to calculate temperature! After sunset, count the number of times a cricket chirps in 15 seconds and add 40, that gives the temperature in Fahrenheit.
- Their color and body shape help them camouflage in fields to hide from predators. They also have eyes that are usually brown, green, or gray-colored to match their surroundings.
- In Mexico and China, fried grasshoppers are considered a delicacy!
- Grasshoppers have white-colored blood.
Fun fact for today!A grasshopper eats food equal to 16 times its own body weight!